STORY: Protesters in Tirana threw stones at police on Saturday (October 24) and police used water cannons during clashes at demonstrations demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation.

The protests, fuelled by anger over perceived government corruption, a lack of jobs and poor education standards, have entered their eighth day as they engulfed the capital Tirana and other cities.

Demonstrators have set fire to government buildings and banks, smashed shop windows and pulled up pavement stones to throw at police.

Violence started on October 13 and peaked last Saturday (October 17) when thousands gathered outside the Education Ministry and hurled rocks at riot police, who responded with tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets.

The unrest, which followed months of largely peaceful protests over the summer against a luxury coastal development backed by US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, poses the biggest challenge yet to Rama, who has governed since 2013 and last year won a fourth term in office.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: TIRANA, ALBANIA (OCTOBER 24, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS HURLING STONES AT POLICE

2. VARIOUS OF WATER CANNONS MOVING ALONGSIDE RIOT POLICE

3. POLICE WATER CANNON SPRAYING WATER AT PROTESTERS / WATER CANNON AND RIOT POLICE MOVING

4. VARIOUS OF POLICE BLOCKING STREET, WATER CANNONS SPRAYING WATER AT PROTESTERS

5. VARIOUS OF POLICE MOVING TOWARDS PROTESTERS

6. VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MOVING RUBBISH CONTAINERS TO BLOCK STREET

7. PROTESTERS JUGGLING WITH STONES

8. PROTESTER JUMPING ON RUBBISH CONTAINER IN MIDDLE OF STREET

9. VARIOUS OF POLICE BLOCKING STREET / PROTESTERS IN BACKGROUND

10. WATER CANNON BLOCKING STREET / PROTESTERS ON STREET

11. PROTESTERS NEXT TO SMALL FIRE

12. PROTESTERS WALKING BY, THROWING STONES AT POLICE

13. POLICE USING WATER CANNONS

14. POLICE BLOCKING STREET